‘Quickly’ is the adverb, which would be technically correct. US English-speakers might use ‘quick’ and it’s fine, but I guess it’s not quite correct!

"Quick" in this instance is an example of an adjective repurposed as an adverb. "Quickly", which is more obviously an adverb, would have been a better choice but this sort of "mistake" is made so frequently that one must accept it as part of the language. I asked chatGPT to give me several additional examples of repurposed adjectives: "The engine is running hot." "The engine runs smooth." "The sun shone bright." "The runner stopped short." "He held the rope tight." "The radio blared loud." "The soldiers stood firm." Some of the answers that chatGPT gave me were incorrect. For example, it gave me this sentence: "The coffee tasted bitter." in which "bitter" is used as an adjective, a predicative complement, that modifies "coffee".

In this context, the phrase "as quick as they can" should technically be "as quickly as they can" to follow proper grammar rules. Explanation: * "Quick" is an adjective and typically describes nouns (e.g., "a quick race"). * "Quickly" is an adverb and describes actions or verbs (e.g., "They ran quickly"). Since the verb "grab" is being modified, the adverb "quickly" is the grammatically correct choice. So, the sentence should read:
"...and grab it as quickly as they can." Using "as quick as" is more informal and sometimes heard in casual speech, but it’s not standard English in formal writing.

Great question! The difference between "as quick as" and "as quickly as" involves grammar and subtlety in usage: 1. Grammar Context: "As quick as" uses "quick," an adjective, typically describing nouns or acting in more informal or colloquial contexts. "As quickly as" uses "quickly," an adverb, usually modifying verbs or describing how an action is performed. 2. Examples in Sentences: Correct: He ran as quickly as possible. Here, "quickly" describes how he ran, modifying the verb "ran." Correct (colloquial): Come back as quick as you can! This form is common in informal speech, though technically, "as quickly as" is more grammatically correct. 3. Choosing the Right Form: If the context involves comparing actions or emphasizing the manner of doing something, use "as quickly as." In informal English or when following certain fixed phrases, "as quick as" might appear, but in formal writing, "as quickly as" is generally preferred. 4. Which to Use in Your Context? If you are talking about actions (e.g., completing tasks, moving, reacting), "as quickly as" is usually correct. For colloquial speech or set expressions, "as quick as" might work, but it’s less formal. Example: Formal: She responded to the email as quickly as she could. Informal: She was back as quick as a flash. Conclusion: If you’re dealing with a formal or written context, "as quickly as" is generally more accurate. In casual conversation or specific idiomatic expressions, "as quick as" may also be acceptable.

Both are generally correct in colloquial English, but in terms of correctness: "as quickly as" would be a bit more proper.